Abortion Choice Is a Difficult One
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In response to Larry Ellis’ Jan. 16 column (“Just What Have We Become?”), your concerns about the moral behavior of our nation, the sad absence of two parents in the home, and the current failure to teach children personal responsibility and accountability for their actions are spot on, and many people share those concerns.
But you totally lost me with your statements about abortion. Unless you and every one of your congregants is willing to either adopt or commit to at least 18 years of mentoring a child who is going to be aborted, then how are these children going to become the “kinds of persons whose contributions to our world would be worthy of praise across generations”?
Statistics and real life demonstrate that many of these children will grow up in single-parent homes, live in poverty, without a good moral compass to lead and guide them. They will become the next generation of welfare recipients, mentally ill people (visualize the homeless and the unstable), and prison population (visualize long periods of incarceration with other like-minded people or death row inmates who face years waiting for the needle).
Maybe these mothers who seek abortions have a voice that could teach the rest of the country about hard choices and poverty-filled lives, but are instead shamed and harassed because of their choices.
Shame on the rest of us.
Cheryl Mensch
Southern Pines
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Comments
JimRussell44 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Thank you for a brave and well written letter, Ms. Mensch.
Courseaire 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Therefore, there should be a litmus test for all single mothers-to-be that if they cannot show the ability to support a child on their own, it should be mandatorily aborted so as to not be a burden or drain on society. By your definition, single-parent homes should be outlawed.
fugitiveguy 3 months, 4 weeks ago
"Statistics and real life demonstrate that many of these children will grow up in single-parent homes, live in poverty, without a good moral compass to lead and guide them"
so we are doing them a favor by killing them, is that it?
Middleman522 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Your first paragraph answers the rest of your letter. We have failed to teach our children right and wrong when it comes to their sex lives, or responsibilities of life. It is out of control that this many of our young women have to make this decision to start with and I'm sure better mentoring would make a difference. My Daughter called me 5 years ago and asked me for money for something. Having a little history in this part of life's trials, I told he to talk to her Mother and think about it. An accident had changed her life forever. I now have a wonderful Grandson and she has changed some of her life goals. She was luckier than most young Ladies with a supporting Mom and Family. We as a country, have got to start putting some morals back on the table and pushing Hollywood off to the side. Too many bad examples of being a responsible adult are too easy to see and admire. It must start at home! Just my opinion..
teufelhunden 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Thanks for sharing Middleman522. Your daughter and grandson are very fortunate to have you.
geoffcutler 3 months, 4 weeks ago
The headline given to this letter by the editors would appear opposite to that which is the opinion of the letter writer. That the decision to abort a child isn't a difficult one at all. In fact, she seems quite certain in her opinion that abortion is the correct action to take. One just needs look at statistics and real life to find out how an unwanted child's life will be after it is brought to term and is born.
It is this certainty about a woman's "right to choose"- to end another human life, that I find, as one who cannot make up his mind on this issue, so unsettling. So certain over the death of another human life. So confident it's the right thing to do. Unsettling, yet so commonplace.
LSM 3 months, 4 weeks ago
@fugitiveguy:
Why stop with the unborn babies, there should be someone such as the above letter writer going into the schools, prisons, and yes even hospitals and elderly care facilities making the choice to terminate life on the premise of somebody's worth. They could call it something cute.
visigrad 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Plain and Simple... Abortion is murder ! Perhaps one of those 55 million aborted babies would have grown up to eliminate poverty and so many other ills in our society.... Without the right to life all other social issues are pointless !!
Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago
I believe that this is not "murder" if the fetus could not survive unaided outside the womb. I do not believe that life begins at the time of conception.
Courseaire 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Could a new born baby survive on its own - I think not.
Matt_Woodruff 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Interesting that it is mostly men telling women what to do with their bodies! What gives you that right?
clarabelle 3 months, 3 weeks ago
again............. i'm certain none of the above abortion foes have ever adopted or offered to support an abandoned child.
JimRussell44 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Yukonjohn, another thing we agree on.
fugitiveguy 3 months, 3 weeks ago
"Interesting that it is mostly men telling women what to do with their bodies! What gives you that right?"
Wow, thats original. I'm hardly trying to tell women anything its just that I take issue with the author writing about how much good can come from ending a future life. I just can't be as nonchalant as the pro abortion camp.
fugitiveguy 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Clarabelle, I bet they have adopted exactly the same number you have.
Yukonjohn 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Fugitiveguy, you mentioned the "pro abortion crowd". I guess that would be me, but l really am not "pro abortion" at all. I would love it if there was never another abortion in this world, but realistically, l know better. To use it for the easiest form of birth control, l believe happens rarely, and should never happen, but again, that is between that person and their doctor. I bet that 90% of the people that are so bent over this issue believe that there is a God and a judgbement day. If this is against the ten commandments, then they will have to answer to God over it. Let God deal out the applicable punishment and let's get on with life.
fugitiveguy 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Yukon, I just disagree with the writers idea that somehow abortion is a favorable outcome for the fetus. I also disagree with the idea that because someone is not ready or willing to adopt that somehow they should keep their opinion to themselves. Not a zealot, hardly religious but I just don't see it as nonchalantly as some which apparently neither do you.
Yukonjohn 3 months, 3 weeks ago
fugitiveguy, You're right, we do see it about the same way. l am not a zealot either, but just don't agree with the far right on this issue. This was the only issue that Ron Paul and l disagree on. But, in our nation, the way we are set-up, people can disagree without being disagreeable, or they used to could.
clarabelle 3 months, 3 weeks ago
" fugitiveguy - Clarabelle, I bet they have adopted exactly the same number you have.
I'm sure you are right ............ but I am not the one insisting on having unwanted pregnancies continued..........
dentman65 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I do not approve of abortion...but I approve less of anyone having the right to tell another what to do with their bodies. Abortion will always be here right or wrong, but I do not think our tax dollars should pay for them in any way. Abortion is nothing new. My mother and grandmother told me during the depression and other hards times local women of Moore County all knew of a tonic they could drink if they skipped the first cycle. It was a tonic of local weeds and herbs. They said it was very common and it was passed on to young women when they got married. Times were hard and another mouth to feed was nearly impossible, so this tonic would be consumed or else a woman would have merely stayed pregnant. Abortion should be up to the mother. It is her that will have to answer to her God and deal with the guilt. People usually think abortion is evil until it is in their family and then they weigh the decision. They usually change their minds in the right circumstances.
SH59 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Your second paragraph brings up something I've always believed. If society and in particular the religious right were to change their demeaning attitude towards single pregnant women, supported and even were involved in the adoption business sending a message that if they want to make a choice, then choose the gift of a child to a family who desperately wants one. Just making laws isn't going to be enough and in fact it is the cowards way out. Getting involved and making a significant societal change is what is needed to really make a difference.
teufelhunden 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Well it is a personal issue and let's hope none of you are faced with having to make that choice. Peace.
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Do you want to reduce abortions? How about supporting the only measures that will - age-appropriate comprehensive sex education and easy access to contraception. What, you don't like that?
You can pass more laws if you like, but then it'll go underground and women will take care of it themselves, just as they have for centuries.
Polls show majority support for women's reproductive rights and the attempts to force all of us to obey your religious beliefs will fail. Freedom is worth the fight.
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
By the way, the Catholic Church holds that fetuses are not persons with legal rights. What do you say to that?
Matt_Woodruff 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Fugitiveguy said: "Wow, that's original" Never said it was. Do you think insults make your point more valid?
SH59 3 months, 3 weeks ago
JimHeim, I totally agree with you. That was my point, keep choice but teach responsible sexual behavior and stop attacking women. Make adoption socially a positive and admired choice and the abortion rate will go down.
AFCHIEF 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Personally woman should be allowed to have an abortion in the early stages but not with tax payer funding. Liberals to me have their priorities wrong. They want abortions at tax payer expense but also are against the Death Penalty which is another HUGE tax payer expense. So kill the innocents but keep alive SCUM who are killers
http://onenewsnow.com/pro-life/2013/01/08/planned-parenthood-record-year-for-abortions-taxpayer-funding
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
afchief, Planned Parenthood does not spend one government funded dime on abortions. But I'm sure you already knew that.
packwilleat 3 months, 3 weeks ago
It never ceases to amaze me, the left wants to claim a womans right to her body. But then deny someone the right to keep the fruits of their labor. No matter what side of the isle you are on, you are guilty of restricting individual liberty to some extent. Live and let live.
Middleman522 3 months, 3 weeks ago
SH59 Right and wrong are basic Christian beliefs, with a lot of people differing on the definition of the 2. We have been so dead set on keeping religion of any kind out of our schools, which could do a much better job of preparing our kids for real life than Hollywood, whose teaching them now. I think we should come up with 6 commandments that everyone can agree with and put them everywhere! Just a thought!
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman, let's not. Maybe allowing personal liberty is a practice worth considering.
Middleman522 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Heim We American taxpayers are paying for abortions world wide as of the first day a liberal steps into the WH. Where did my personal Lberties go with that? And once there is a heartbeat, where are that childs personal liberties. Not as important as liberal ideals, right?
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman - Please get me evidence that we're paying for all those abortions. Maybe you could start with such care for our own servicewomen.
Where do you get the authority to order women to surrender their reproductive rights to you?
pgericson 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman - as Americans, we do have some 'commandments' that govern, albeit imperfectly, the way we treat each other. One can find them in the Constitution and its Amendments. Just saying.. Also, there is a law that prohibits taxpayer monies going toward abortions and many watchdogs to make sure that it is followed.
Middleman522 3 months, 3 weeks ago
OBAMA's first or second executive order, were you still drunk from inaug party in 2009! I just said I don't want to pay for it! Is that my right?? My mention of commandments were for teaching kids right from wrong. Not P Diddy or 50cent! Planned Parenthood did 333,000+ abortions last year, and received $534.000,000.00+. from US. They got the money, they did the abortions, do the math! The Constitution does not mean much to someone that talks trash about those with religion and guns.... Both constitutional and both under attack!
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
middleman, that's just ignorant. Planned Parenthood ensures that no government funding is used for abortions. Those monies are strictly for women's health care and the like. If you have evidence that they are illegally transferring government money into accounts used to pay for abortions, please present it.
Otherwise, you're just blowing smoke.
clarabelle 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman522 - .............. dumber than your average looney!
nothingspecial 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Pro abortion rights folks are either hypocrites or ignorant. Claiming to be so liberated and humane in supporting the absolutely medieval practice of abortion with hardly a consideration of perhaps simply working harder to increase the guidance and mentoring provided to girls and boys about valuing their lives, setting goals. Getting away with using the same de-humanizing and prejudiced rationalizations used by the Nazis with Jews to justify the barbaric act, by attempting to turn the unborn person into a "blob", despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary. Using further bias to label pro-lifers as not only wrong but outcasts as well.
AFCHIEF 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Heim so when a woman goes to Planned Parenthood for an abortion who pays for it?
PasserBy 3 months, 3 weeks ago
testing
Middleman522 3 months, 3 weeks ago
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-01-23/politics/obama.abortion_1_abortion-counseling-family-planning-family-planning?_s=PM:POLITICS
Heim there is you proof. Let's see if you can read!! I know how you think!
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman, where do you see anything about paying for abortions in this story you linked:
President Obama struck down a rule Friday that prohibits U.S. money from funding international family-planning clinics that promote abortion or provide counseling or referrals about abortion services.
They can tell a patient abortion is what they need. They can tell a woman where she can get an abortion. That's not paying for an abortion; that's free speech, something Americans used to support.
Show me where the federal government funds abortions.
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
afchief, when a woman goes to Planned Parenthood I help pay for her abortion through my donations as do a lot of Americans. That is my right. The federal government is not allowed to fund abortions. How could you not know that?
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
wdd - If you don't approve of abortion, don't have one. No one put you in charge of women's reproductive health. Women are perfectly capable of running their own lives.
If you favor implantable contraceptives, how about free plan B for use after unprotected sex? How about age-appropriate, scientifically accurate sex education? Still with me?
Or are you just about shaming poor (non-white) women?
geoffcutler 3 months, 3 weeks ago
"The federal government is not allowed to fund abortions. How could you not know that?" Jim Heim
In 2011, Planned Parenthood was handed over $487 million of our tax dollars, and in that same year performed 334,000 abortions. In fiscal 2012, Planned Parenthood was awarded $542 million, up 11% from the previous year. And you can say categorically, Jim, (because what, you have an overnight cot at Planned Parenthood where you oversee every penny of those taxpayer funds?) that zero of those millions of dollars go in any way to abortions?
How do you know for sure, Jim?
JimHeim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Planned Parenthood has to account for its funds to the government. The government is aware of the law. If you have evidence that PP is using government funds for abortions (as opposed to my contributions) feel free to share it. Other wise you're just gossiping.
geoffcutler 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Sort of what I thought. You don't know.